Reflection for V’yishlach
“So-Called Brethren”
1 Corinthians 5:1-13
2 Corinthians 6:14-18
Hebrews 12:14-17
Revelation 7:1-12
excerpted from TorahScope Apostolic Scriptures Reflections
This week we are examining V’yishlach (Genesis 32:4-36:43), and at this point in our Torah readings we arrive at Jacob’s return to Canaan from laboring in Padan Haran. We have become fully acquainted with two people, who could very much be labeled the “so-called brethren of Jacob,” as represented by the fleshly Esau, and Rebekah’s tasking brother Laban. It is sad to see that some of Jacob’s immediate family members had sinful inclinations. An incongruous spirit or mindset was evident in the hearts of Esau and Laban, and Bible readers often do not remember either one of them in a positive light. Those who consider the examples of Esau and Laban, are given a warning of extreme caution. Believers today need to be very careful with whom they consider working—and especially partnering—be it in business, friendships, or ministry service. If one is joined with another person who has a much different approach to life, then harm may come to you.
The Apostolic Scriptures are replete with warnings about how Messiah followers are to be careful having relationships and interactions with so-called brethren—people who claim to be brothers and sisters in the faith, but who may not be (i.e., 2 Corinthians 6:14-18). But before you might open your Bible and review a selection of those passages, remember that from this week’s Torah portion, we see how Jacob was deathly afraid of his brother Esau, as he was planning to return to Canaan. Jacob remembered Esau’s threats to kill him (Genesis 27:41), and even after twenty years, such fear was quite still real, to the point of offering bribes to assuage his brother’s feelings (Genesis 32:13-18)—and even after Jacob appealed to God for protection:
“The messengers returned to Jacob, saying, ‘We came to your brother Esau. He is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.’ Then Jacob was greatly afraid and was distressed. He divided the people who were with him, along with the flocks, the herds, and the camels, into two companies. He said, ‘If Esau comes to the one company, and strikes it, then the company which is left will escape.’ Jacob said, ‘God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the LORD, who said to me, “Return to your country, and to your relatives, and I will do you good,” I am not worthy of the least of all the loving kindnesses, and of all the truth, which you have shown to your servant; for with just my staff I crossed over this Jordan; and now I have become two companies. Please deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, lest he come and strike me and the mothers with the children. You said, ‘I will surely do you good, and make your offspring as the sand of the sea, which can’t be counted because there are so many’” (Genesis 32:6-12, WMB).
There is one sure thing which Jacob did learn during his time working for the demanding Laban: make sure you are not yoked to someone who approaches life differently than you do! Recall that when Jacob finally secured his total separation from Laban, they struck a covenantal vow, swearing by God to never get involved in one another’s business:
“Laban said to Jacob, ‘See this heap, and see the pillar, which I have set between me and you. May this heap be a witness, and the pillar be a witness, that I will not pass over this heap to you, and that you will not pass over this heap and this pillar to me, for harm. The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.’ Then Jacob swore by the fear of his father, Isaac. Jacob offered a sacrifice in the mountain, and called his relatives to eat bread. They ate bread, and stayed all night in the mountain. Early in the morning, Laban rose up, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them. Laban departed and returned to his place” (Genesis 31:51-55, WMB).
The life lesson, to avoid unequal yoking with someone of a different spirit, is further seen after Jacob’s reunion with Esau. After the bribes of animals were secured by Esau and his company of four hundred, Esau made an offer to Jacob that they might “journey and go” together—in essence, settling together in Seir. Jacob cleverly resisted the offer, mentioning to Esau that he would “see” Esau in Seir, and yet after the separation of these two brothers, Jacob headed in another direction toward Succoth and Shechem:
“Esau said, ‘Let’s take our journey, and let’s go, and I will go before you.’ Jacob said to him, ‘My lord knows that the children are tender, and that the flocks and herds with me have their young, and if they overdrive them one day, all the flocks will die. Please let my lord pass over before his servant, and I will lead on gently, according to the pace of the livestock that are before me and according to the pace of the children, until I come to my lord to Seir.’ Esau said, ‘Let me now leave with you some of the people who are with me.’ He said, ‘Why? Let me find favor in the sight of my lord.’ So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir. Jacob traveled to Succoth, built himself a house, and made shelters for his livestock. Therefore the name of the place is called Succoth. Jacob came in peace to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Paddan Aram; and encamped before the city. He bought the parcel of ground where he had spread his tent, at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for one hundred pieces of money. He erected an altar there, and called it El Elohe Israel” (Genesis 33:12-20, WMB).
Instead of Jacob yoking or allying his family to that of Esau’s in Seir, Jacob moved to Shechem. He first built a temporary structure near Succoth, and then purchased a piece of land near Shechem. Jacob erected an altar and settled down some distance from his “brother” Esau. Even though the two were kin, Jacob did not trust Esau. After having been under the stress of satisfying the demands of his conniving father-in-law Laban, Jacob demonstrated the wisdom of not being unequally yoked with those who were of a different spirit and mindset.
This foundational, Biblical understanding, about avoiding entanglements with the wrong people, is elaborated upon in various places in the Apostolic Scriptures. Consider how while the author of Hebrews recommended that Believers pursue peace with all people, just as Jacob achieved a level of peace with Laban and Esau—Esau was also identified as an immoral man, being one who should be avoided. Believers are to not have people like Esau in their sphere of close influence, lest such immoral people are able to replicate themselves in the character of others:
“Follow after peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no man will see the Lord, looking carefully lest there be any man who falls short of the grace of God, lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you and many be defiled by it, lest there be any sexually immoral person or profane person, like Esau, who sold his birthright for one meal. For you know that even when he afterward desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for a change of mind though he sought it diligently with tears” (Hebrews 12:14-17, WMB).
In his writing to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul addressed how Believers should deal with immoral people in their midst. Great sins had erupted within the Corinthian congregation, and some resolution about what to do with them had to be enacted. Paul instructed the Corinthians that immoral people, engaged in gross sexual practice, were to be excised from the assembly, being turned over to Satan—with at least the chance, that as one’s body was ravaged by the effects of sin, the person would somehow turn in repentance toward God. Likewise, Paul also instructed the Corinthians not to eat a meal with so-called brethren, who practiced immorality:
“It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles, that one has his father’s wife. You are arrogant, and didn’t mourn instead, that he who had done this deed might be removed from among you. For I most certainly, as being absent in body but present in spirit, have already, as though I were present, judged him who has done this thing. In the name of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, when you are gathered together with my spirit with the power of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, you are to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Yeshua. Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast leavens the whole lump? Purge out the old yeast, that you may be a new lump, even as you are unleavened. For indeed Messiah, our Passover, has been sacrificed in our place. Therefore let’s keep the feast, not with old yeast, neither with the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. I wrote to you in my letter to have no company with sexual sinners; yet not at all meaning with the sexual sinners of this world, or with the covetous and extortionists, or with idolaters, for then you would have to leave the world. But as it is, I wrote to you not to associate with anyone who is called a brother who is a sexual sinner, or covetous, or an idolater, or a slanderer, or a drunkard, or an extortionist. Don’t even eat with such a person. For what do I have to do with also judging those who are outside? Don’t you judge those who are within? But those who are outside, God judges. ‘Put away the wicked man from among yourselves’ [Deuteronomy 17:7; 19:19; 22:21, 24; 24:7]” (1 Corinthians 5:1-13, WMB).
It is in this passage where the concept of “anyone who bears the name of brother or sister” (NRSV), or “any who claim to be fellow believers” (TNIV), is addressed. There are people who claim to be of the Body of Messiah, but by their grossly sinful behavior are obviously not. Paul was clear to instruct the Corinthians that he not only wanted to see the sexually immoral gone from their assembly, but also any: coveters, idolaters, revilers, drunkards, and swindlers. Paul was very concerned that a little sinful leaven in the assembly, would have a damaging impact on the whole lump of dough of the entire assembly (cf. Galatians 5:9). His stern admonition was to not only discontinue eating with these charlatans—who pretended to be Believers—but to see these wicked people removed from the assembly.
In additional instruction to the Corinthians, Paul amplified these concepts when speaking about what was commonly labeled as unequal yoking. The Believer was warned to not be bound with those who were of a different spirit, mindset, or ideology. While this can obviously apply to people who get married—and how potential couples need to be compatible on a wide variety of factors (far more than just the feeling that one is “in love”)—it can also be applied to business dealings and partnerships on multiple levels, with those who might influence a Believer negatively. Paul’s warnings about not being bound with non-Believers were pretty serious, substantiated with multiple references from the Tanakh:
“Don’t be unequally yoked with unbelievers, for what fellowship do righteousness and iniquity have? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness? What agreement does Messiah have with Belial? Or what portion does a believer have with an unbeliever? What agreement does a temple of God have with idols? For you are a temple of the living God. Even as God said, ‘I will dwell in them and walk in them. I will be their God and they will be my people [Leviticus 26:12; Jeremiah 32:28; Ezekiel 37:27].’ Therefore “‘Come out from among them, and be separate,” says the Lord. “Touch no unclean thing [Isaiah 52:11; Ezekiel 20:34, 41]. I will receive you. I will be to you a Father. You will be to me sons and daughters,” says the Lord Almighty’” (2 Corinthians 6:14-18, WMB).
In our Torah portion this week, we see how Jacob learned some lessons the hard way through his trials with Laban. But, by the time his estrangement with Esau came to a head, Jacob chose to relocate to an area where the negative influences of Esau and his company would not impact Jacob.
Understandably, the Apostles would have endorsed Jacob’s approach. But what about you? Have you ever been in a situation, or are you even currently in a situation, where you are unequally yoked with another? Can you remember how stressful you were, as various circumstances presented themselves? How did you handle (or how are you handling) the difficulties of some unequal yoking? What did you do (or what are you going to do)?
Naturally, when one thinks of unequal yoking, the institution of marriage is what most frequently comes to mind. In this case, there are some very specific instructions from the Apostle Paul, to both the men and women of Corinth, about maintaining a proper marriage relationship, despite the undue stress:
“But to the married I command—not I, but the Lord—that the wife not leave her husband (but if she departs, let her remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband), and that the husband not leave his wife. But to the rest I—not the Lord—say, if any brother has an unbelieving wife, and she is content to live with him, let him not leave her. The woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he is content to live with her, let her not leave her husband. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified in the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified in the husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy. Yet if the unbeliever departs, let there be separation. The brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us in peace. For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife? Only, as the Lord has distributed to each man, as God has called each, so let him walk. So I command in all the assemblies” (1 Corinthians 7:10-17, WMB).
Clearly, God hates divorce (Malachi 2:16), and it is not something which should ever be desired as entire families—and not just a former husband or wife—will be affected by it. Paul did state in this passage, that if an unbelieving marriage partner leaves, the faithful one should let the person leave and not remain in bondage. God has called us to peace, and being released from one who walks away should allow peace to return to the one abandoned.
If marriage relationships should not be unequally yoked, what can we also deduce about having friendships or business arrangements? Should we not avoid inappropriate friendships with sinful people, or business partnerships with those who are unethical? The 1 Corinthians 5 passage quoted above perhaps states it best, by advising Believers to avoid even having meals with people, who view life with an obvious disdain for the Messiah. This does not mean that you will always avoid eating with an unbeliever, but rather you will avoid the regularity of these types of settings—because of the potential to be stained by the unsavory lifestyle these people choose.
Personally speaking, I can vividly remember a time years ago when I was in a business arrangement with a man who claimed to be a Believer, but whose walk was obviously inconsistent with his statements. Even though we went to the same Bible Church, there was something extremely unsettling about his business ethics and personal life. One day while at a Bible study, I happened to be seated right behind him, as the teacher was actually discussing the 1 Corinthians 5 passage referenced above. As the teaching proceeded, I had to keep looking on either side of my business partner’s head in order to catch the eyes of the teacher. When the teacher got to the passages describing the characteristics of an immoral person (1 Corinthians 5:11), it dawned on me that my business associate manifested each one of the negative characteristics on the list (the only exception being that he was not a drunk). Upon realizing this reality, and given the interesting juxtaposition of the line of sight, I heard the still quiet voice of the Spirit caution me to separate from this businessman and our entanglements in business. Even though my disassociation from this man had a cost in terms of dollars made, I felt it was more important to obey the Lord’s promptings.
To this day, I have been extremely cautious about who and how relationships are solidified. While this has had its effect in various business relationships, it also has an undeniable affect on ministry relationships. In both evangelical Protestantism and the Messianic movement, our family has encountered people who claim to serve the Lord, but are more out to serve themselves. While charlatans and frauds litter much of the Christian world, and offer populist teachings on Christian television which often do not help Believers—some of the same can sadly be seen in sectors of the Messianic world as well. These kinds of things have required our ministry to function independently of various others, because the Messianic movement is too young and unestablished at present—to at least offer some of the accountability, structure, and discipline which various conservative, evangelical Protestant denominations offer when problems arise.
And what do we do about so-called brethren—people who claim to be brothers and sisters in the faith—but who may not be? Should we not feel sorry for such people, and pray for them to truly turn to the Lord in repentance? Even though we might not like some of the things they do or stand for, should we not pray that they come to salvation? If you have been hurt by such people, recognize that only God can judge them—but we can all intercede for them. While we might not like some of the things they have done to us, if our Heavenly Father has at one point shown us mercy—then as born again Believers we should desire that He likewise show them mercy! What confirms in my heart that I truly know Yeshua as Lord is the fact that I ultimately want all—even my enemies—to know Him!
